Bolus insulin & protein shakes.

[T1betty]

Hi everyone

I’m new to the forum & a newly diagnosed T1 diabetic (nearly a year)
Was hoping for some advice with this question please.

I’m looking to start running & going to the gym again. The question I have is...

Should I Bolus for the protein shake that I’ll be taking 30 minutes pre exercise & then Bolus again for the protein shake I’ll be taking 30 minutes post exercise?

The protein shake I’ll be using pre & post exercise is...

Sci-MX Omni MX hardcore

...it has 72g of carbohydrate per 150g serving.
So I’ll be taking a serving pre & post exercise.

I’m on a 1 unit to 10g carb ratio using a Novo rapid flex pen.
I’d be looking to Bolus 7 units with the pre exercise protein shake serving.
Then Bolus 7 units with the post exercise protein shake serving.

On paper this seems correct to me but I’m curious to see how others dose when it comes to protein shakes pre & post exercise.

Any advice or knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @T1betty Welcome to the forum

There isn't an easy answer to your question, it depends on the length and intensity of the exercise. I tend to follow the rule of doing a half bolus for carbs prior to exercise but it also depends what my BG levels are too, I always aim to start with my levels running around 6+, you will only really figure out the answer to this when you start exercising and see what happens to your BG levels. Always best to err on the side of caution though when starting out, it's better to finish high than sort out a hypo mid exercise and correct afterwards.

Post exercise again depends on your BG levels - I don't tend to eat after exercise but if I did and BG levels were in range then I would bolus as normal and check again an hour afterwards.

runsweet.com is a good website for those who exercise

 

[SamJB]

You'll need to find out for yourself by taking meter readings before and after. Note that you can become more sensitive to insulin after exercise; I find I need half the insulin I would normally require after exercising

One thing I will say, however, is that it looks like a high carb protein shake. You can get some with next to no carbs in, which will make managing your insulin dose a lot easier.